Favorite Ideas
- Pharmaceutical companies selectively publish studies that highlight antidepressants as effective. Unpublished studies suggest that improving sleep works better as an antidepressant than medications, which may have a placebo effect at best.
- The DSM, a diagnosis tool, previously included a clause that said if a person is grieving, their signs of depression are a rational grief response rather than depression to be treated. This clause was later removed. Could depression be a rational response to other life circumstances?
- Studies show that people are likely to become depressed when they face a long term stressor or difficult situation without the social support they need. Common causes of depression include feeling disconnected from a meaningful occupation, meaningful relationships, nature, and one's values. Childhood trauma and genetics play a role, though a smaller one than commonly thought.
- Several anecdotes shared in the book provide evidence that depression can be cured without antidepressants. In Cambodia, a citizen became depressed after being injured so that he could no longer work as a rice farmer. His home village came together to give him a cow and he was able to become a cow farmer. This connection to meaningful work as a way to provide for himself eventually alleviated his depression.
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Hari suggests that effective antidepressants can be found in rebuilding one or more broken connections to meaning. Some actionable antidepressants:
- Do something with others that lifts you up, preferably in nature. For example, you could plant a community garden.
- Pursue autonomous, meaningful work where you feel you make an impact and do a good job.
- Process internal childhood trauma. A therapist can help you talk through and heal from past challenges, current problems, and future worries.
- Consider how your lifestyle upholds your values. Develop a positive vision for where you see yourself in 5 years. Design and live a life that embodies these values and brings you closer to achieving your goals.